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(Specimens.)

L. F. BLAIR & J. W. Room].

FELT ROOFING. v

Patented July 14, 1885.-

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W/TNESSES UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS F. BLAIR AND JOHN WV. ROCHE, OF OSWEGO, NEl/V YORK.

FELT ROOFING.

SPECIPICATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 322,153. dated July 14,1885.

Application filed February 4, 188 5. (Specimen-s.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, LEWIS F. BLAIR and JOHN W. ROCHE, citizens of the United States, residing at Oswego, in the county of Oswego and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Felt Roofing, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to roofing, and more particularly to that class of the same which employs sheets of flexible material composed of a series of layers of felt with one layer of cloth between them; and it has for its object to improve on the same by placing the cloth layer on the surface forming the top layer of each sheet, whereby greater strength with less liability of cracking is provided, and the roofing when completed is capable of withstanding the various changes of the weather, and will not be injured by persons passing over the same.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved joint for connecting the meeting edges of the sheets, whereby the securing-nails are covered or concealed from view, and are firmly embedded in the body of the roofing secure from all climatic influences.

WVith these ends in view the said invention consists in the peculiar construction and combination of parts, as hereinafter set forth, and

particularly pointed out in the claims.

joint.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a portion of the boards of a roof with my improved roofing applied thereto, one sheet being completed and the second sheet being shown in the several steps for forming the improved Fig. 2 is a transverse section through a portion of the completed joint.

Like letters are used to indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the boards of the roof, and B the roofingsheets, composed of two or more layers, a a, of felting, paper, or the like, and a top layer, 1), of cloth or other fabric, secured together by any adhe sive substance. Formerly it has been the custom to place the layer of cloth in the center of the several layers of felting, and by this promade tough and tenacious, so as to successfully resist the effects of sudden changes of temperature, and also prevent any possibility of the sheets cracking by persons passing over them It will be observed that the edge of the cloth layer b projects beyond the edge of the layers of felting, as shown at c, for the purpose hereinafter explained.

The manner of forming the joints which connect the meeting edges of the several sheets will now be explained, reference being had to Fig. 1 of the drawings, which illustrate the several steps employed in the construction of the joint.

The first roofing'sheet, B, is nailed to the boards of the roof by rows of nails around its edges, in the usual manner, this first sheet, however, having no projecting edge 0 for its cloth layer. The second sheetis then applied to the boards and nailed to the same, except at the edge where it meets or joins with the first sheet. At this meeting edge a portion of the second sheet should overlap a portion of the first sheet; but before the joints are nailed together the operator or workman should take hold of the projecting edgec of the cloth layer and roll the latter back far enough to admit the overlapping felt layers a of the second sheet to be nailed to the first sheet and also to the roof-boards, as shown at e. The joint is then covered with cement and the projecting edge 0 of the cloth layer smoothed down and covered with a coating of cement. The

whole surface of the roof is covered, when completed, with one or more coats of cement, as found desirable. In this manner the rows of nails forming the joints are securely covered and concealed from view, and firmly embedded in the body of the roofing, free from all climatic and other influences.

The joint when completed is not perceptible, for the whole surface of the roofing will present a smooth even appearance, with no projecting edges at the meeting joints of the sheets to be turned up by persons passing over the roof. Furthermore, by the mode employed the joints are prevented from separating, but the sheets are always retained firmly together.

We are thus enabled to produce a superior article for roofing purposes, combining durability, simplicity, convenience in application, and inexpensiveness in the cost of production.

WVe are aware that it is not broadly new to form roofing-sheets of a series of layers of felting with the top layer of cloth. \Ve are also aware that it is old to form a joint for roofing-sheets by overlapping the second sheet over the first sheet, the top layers of each sheet being rolled back to expose the bottom layers, then nailing a tin strip over the lapped bottom layers of the two sheets, and finally smoothing or cementing down the top layersof each sheet, one upon the other. This construction we-hereby disclaim, since it does not attain the object of the present invention, and possesses numerous disadvantages, which we wish to obviate by our improvement. In the aforesaid construction of joint a ridge is formed in the roofing, which ridge is increased in height by the overlapping of top layers over the same.

Furthermore, the topmost layer has its edge extending partly across the ridge, but not entirely over the joint, so that this edge is liable to be turned up or become separated by the expansion of the roofing-sheets at the joints, or by persons walking over the roof.

Our improvement consists in lapping the second sheet over the entire first sheet, then rolling back the top layer of the second sheet to expose the bottom layers and admit of nailing the latter down to the first sheet, and finally smoothing the rolled back edge of the top layer over the bottom layers and upon the first sheet, the width of the top layer being such as to completely cover and hide the joint, adding very much to the efficiency and appearance of the roof. The ridge formed by the lapping of the two layers is hardly perceptible, and when the outer covering of cement is applied the roof presents an even unbroken surface. The projecting edge of the top layer in our improvement does not rest upon the small ridge, but is entirely out of the way, where there is little possibility of it being turned up. Not only is a neater joint effected, but it is so covered or inclosed and made in such a compact. manner that the parts cannot separate through the conditions of the weather.

YVe claim 1. The herein-described roofing-sheet, comprising a series of layers of felting or paper and a top layer of cloth or other fabric, said top layer being of a greater width than the bottom layers, so as to project beyond the same at c, and capable of being rolled or turned back to admit of nailing the bottom layers to the roof-boards, when the projecting edge 0 may besmoothed down in place over the bottom layers and upon the adjoining sheet, thereby covering the joint, for the purpose set forth.

2. The herein-described method or mode of forming the joints for the meeting edges of roofing-sheets, consisting in making the top fabric-layer of each sheet of a greater width than the bottom layers, so as to project beyond the same at one side or edge, and proceeding as follows: first, overlapping the edge of the second sheet over the top layer of the first sheet; second, turning or rolling back the projecting edge of the top layer for the second sheet, to admit of nailing the bottom layers to the first sheet; and, finally, smoothing the projecting edge of the top layer down over the bottom layers and upon the first sheet, thereby completely covering the joint, as set forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto affixed our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

LEWIS F. BLAIR. JOHN V. ROCHE.

\Vitnesses:

FRED R. ERENDEN, J OHN BEARD. 

